Grace's long weekend message!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 283

Grace wants to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! 

May your tables be full of fresh local food grown in a sustainable way, surrounded by friends and family in a spirit of gratitude and generosity. 

Full of spunk!

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At two weeks old, Graceson (Grace's son) is full of spunk and growing fast. While he doesn't wander too far away from his mama, he does run and jump and play with the goats once in a while. 

His older brother has decided he is alright and is quite protective. Like all big brothers... no one can pick on his little brother except him! 

Bulls-eye!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 240

The long awaited day has arrived! This morning sometime amidst the storm and heat, Grace had her calf. 

A beautiful bull calf with the wisest old eyes.... Mom is doing well, the goats seem indifferent and big brother is acting out, just like a toddler who has been displaced! 

We are searching for a fitting name that begins with the letter G to keep the bloodline consistent... and we are having trouble deciding! Any suggestions are welcome.

Grace-full!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 225

Our Dexter cow named Grace is pregnant. Based on our calculations she's due in 10 days...

She looks terribly uncomfortable in this heat and has no patience for the bugs ... Tonight I walked out to spray her down and check on things. I swear she said 'thank you'! 

She's big and looks like she's having twins, we have our fingers crossed for a girl! She is Grace-full!

There is one in every crowd....

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We all know someone... there is one in every crowd (farm)... someone that always has to be the centre of attention. 

On our farm, it's Gaston, seen here photobombing the picture of his mother, Grace standing behind. The look on her face says it all don't you think....

When the dog barks...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 121

When the dog barks.... It might mean the cow decided the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and has pushed over the fence! 

Indeed yesterday Grace did decide to test the theory (that the grass is greener)! Fortunately the pull of a scoop of oats is stronger than the taste of adventure and she easily was lead back inside the corral. 

Time for some fence repair! 

Friday's Felfie

FFF Photo a Day - Day 58

Friday's felfie (farmer selfie) - me and Grace hanging out together. 

A Day of Grace

Today's photo features Grace, our Dexter cow (she's the black one) along with her current boyfriend that we affectionately call "The Bull" - (we frequently don't name those animals that aren't likely to be staying long....)  Grace is our current mama cow and has given us two healthy calves so far. Not pictured is Gaston - the bull calf that she gave us last summer.

He's likely hiding in the barn! Dexter is a miniature breed, which means that the cattle are much smaller than your more traditional breeds. They are a good dual purpose animal giving you both meat and dairy. We got into Dexters as it meant we could use the same fencing systems for both our cows and our goats as well as ease of handling. While Grace is a good mom, she is a challenging milker... we are hoping that next summer she will give us a heifer (female) calf that may be a bit more amenable to the task! In the meantime, we will continue our daily negotiation with Grace. 

Week #6 - 2014 FFF CSA - What's in the Box - Dog Days of Summer bring Cows?!

This nice long stretch of hot, sultry weather... often described as the Dog Days of summer... has put a smile on almost everyone's face! With the exception of the need to water more frequently, the hot weather is generally good news for all things plant like. The veggies are soaking up the warmth and growing well. Of course, lettuce, spinach and cilantro tend to bolt in this kind of weather which is only a problem if you want to eat them.. ;).

 Our most recent excitement was this week's birth of Grace's calf. If you haven't met Grace yet, she is our Dexter mama cow, who last year around this time, gave us Gwendolyn, a lovely heifer (which is what you call female cow who hasn't given birth yet). This year she has produced a healthy male (bull calf) who we have named Gaston! (big thanks to all our Facebook fans who sent in a multitude of suggested names!) 

Earlier this week, Grace very politely waited until morning, sauntered out to the back field and expertly delivered Gaston on her own. I think Gwendolyn was more excited than anyone, as she ran around, bellowing at the top of her lungs most of the day! You would swear she was announcing her new baby brother to the world! Mama, babe (and older sister) are doing well! 

It is hard to believe it is week #6 of our CSA share this year, meaning we are already half way through the twelve weeks. As usual the boxes are getting heavier each week, as more and more of the root vegetables become ready to eat! This week we have some yummy carrots ready for our shareholders. I've linked up some nutritional information about carrots  - they do more than help you see in the dark! as well as some recipes that you may expand your ideas of what to do with them! 

So... What's in the Box this week?

• Swiss Chard
• Mixed Lettuce/Spinach 
• Cucumber
• Beets
• Broccoli or Cauliflower
• Turnip - full share only
• Kohlrabi - full share only
• Beans
• Peas 
• Kale
• Carrots - New!
• Hot Peppers
• Potatoes
• Herbs (Dill, Oregano, Basil, Chives, Parsley (Curled and Flat leaf)

... and remember we pick the vegetables within 24 hours of the box being delivered. We do rinse the produce but it would be prudent to wash all vegetables when you get them home. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer.

Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (ice cream pails, plastic containers, etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 

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